Leaked Next-Gen iPhone Antenna Shows Death Grip Fix

Yesterday, a firm named GlobalDirectParts put together an extensive five minute video showcasing what they say are the components of Apple’s next-generation iPhone.

While the video could have been an elaborate fake, GlobalDirectParts’ video gave a clear look at the charging port flex cable and a new design for the external antenna design. Unfortunately, the video was quickly pulled by YouTube because of a copyright claim by Apple, gifting the video with at least some tint of posthumous veracity.

A site called Smartphone Medic is now confirming the GlobalDirectParts video with several images of a new iPhone antenna, which has four black bands separating the antennas, compared to the current iPhone 4’s three. Since antenna attenuation (aka “death grip”) happens when you bridge these antennas with your hand, four separations would presumably mitigate the issue compared to three.

Is this the iPhone 5’s new antenna? Probably, although there’s speculation it could also be for the Verizon iPhone… a thought that seems belied by the inclusion of a micro-SIM slot in the design, since CDMA phones don’t use SIM cards.

Another possibility? This is the redesigned antenna for the white iPhone 4, which is still supposedly coming in Spring. They already had to go back to the drawing board for the white iPhone 4, and that phone’s already nine months late: Apple might as well do what they can to fix the antenna issues while they’re at it.